30 Day invisible illness challenge: Day 10

Day Ten: 

Each day I take ___ pills and vitamins

Oh yay, we get to talk about my prescription (that was sarcasm, by the way). I know that I am not alone in the multiple prescriptions department. Many women with endometriosis have a slew of pain killers and treatments that cost them a lot of money at the pharmacy. I am currently uninsured, and I pay over $200 when I go to the pharmacy for my meds. 

Every day I take 2 different types of pain killers, and I also take vitamins and supplements. I have a number of different meds for different symptoms, and I would like to talk about these drugs because a.) I like pharmaceuticals and b.) you may be surprised by the amount of drugs endometriosis patients take. 

Tramacet

me when I take my tramadol

Tramacet is my main go-to pain killer. Tramacet is a combination of Tramadol and Acetaminophen. it is an opioid anelgsic, which is why it's my go-to for pain relief. Tramacet doesn't make me drowsy, so I can go to work, class, and drive while I'm on it. I've been on it for so long and take so much of it that I don't get "high" from it, which is good. Though sometimes it makes me extra talkative and sociable, and I find that I get a bit more giggly and happy when I take it. 

Tylenol 4

Tylenol 4 is the step-up from T3's. T4's has twice as much codeine in it than T3's do, so I have to be careful when I take them. I try to only take a T4 when I need to. It's a good night time pain reliever because it makes me drowsy. Though I find that opioid pain killers make me itchy. Morphine and T4's occasionally cause intense face and body itches. I will claw myself raw sometimes.

Metoclopramide

This is a great drug for nausea. It was prescribed to me while I was on Lupron. Lupron made me throw up almost every day, and I was constantly nauseous. Ovarian cysts and Endometriosis itself cause awful nausea, so metoclorpamide is a good drug. According to drugs.com, "Metoclopramide increases muscle contractions in the upper digestive tract. This speeds up the rate at which the stomach empties into the intestines." It also works in the brain to help decrease the feeling of nausea.

Depo Provera

When I see my doctor pull out the needle, this is me.

Depo Provera is the hormone treatment I am currently on. My specialist wants to stop my periods, because according to him, the more periods I have, the more the endometriosis will spread. He suspects that the endometriosis has spread onto my ureter and/or bladder, which is why there has been blood in my urine. Depo Provera is administered as an intramuscular injection, and I learned the hard way that my tiny little arm is not a good place for such an injection. So every three months I get my wonderful "ass needle"- a dose of Depo Provera in my butt cheek. 

Botox 

Yes, Botox. The same thing those desperate house wives get in their faces. I don't get it for beauty, I get it injected in my belly and lady parts to attempt to freeze the constantly-firing nerves and relax the muscles that are constantly clenched due to a co-morbid condition called allodynia. 

Prescriptions I have been on in the past include Ketorolac, Naproxen, Leuprolide, Mirena, Jaydess, some other drug which I cannot remember, Elavil, and so many more.

I also make sure to take a multivitamin, vitamin D supplement, and an Iron supplement every day. My doctors are on the fence as to whether or not I have fibromyalgia, and in a blood test they discovered that I have a severe vitamin D deficiency. Did you know that low levels of vitamin D can cause bone and joint aches? I also take Iron because I will sometimes bleed heavily for months on end, and that takes a toll on my body and energy levels. 

Thank you all, so much, for joining me on the 30 Day Invisible Illness Challenge. Your support means the world to me!

-Captain Lakie